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Friday, February 24, 2012

I hope a tiler on the roof is steadier than a fiddler on the roof or my bathroom floor will look dreadful!
If I could play a fiddle I would try to play it on the roof! I know I am glowing terracotta red! A little sun, a little tile dust.

It was a beautiful day yesterday and I decided to move the tile cutter to the roof so I could be closer to the bathroom I was tiling. I don't have a fancy tile cutter, but it cuts tile. Tiling isn't easy and tiling on a diagonal is even harder. Keeping the tiles lined up and making unusual cuts is tricky.

The tiles had a terracotta clay color back side so I had red clay splattered all over my face and hair and the roof!

Lil' dog couldn't understand why I was on the roof, she kept saying Roof Roof?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

We had a short ice and snow storm here over the weekend so I thought it would be a great idea to get some house work done. The bathroom floors were ready for tile, so tiling it was! I struggled with the layout of whether or not the tiles should be laid square or on a diagonal. I like the diagonal look because the room has so many angles that the diagonal gives it an interesting dimension. It is harder to lay out, more cuts, but worth it in the long run. We got the tiles at a pretty low price, they are basic and neutral, but will do the job.

This is a view from one of the bathroom windows. That is my roof, followed by the Church steeple next door. You will see this as you sit upon the bathroom throne.

Where to start.....I chose to start at the point at which you first walk into the room and centered that tile. There may be more mathematical ways of doing it, but I was going more for visual effects since the room is so not square.

The tub would not fit through the doors so it has to be moved to one side while we install the tiles. Good place to stack the sink base too.

I am looking a bit rough because I have been out in the sleet getting sprayed in the face with a tile cutter. When you are cutting, the water has to touch the circular blade to cut the tiles, and this cutter sprays water everywhere, especially in my face. I was wearing ski goggles, so I would keep it out of my eyes! Notice the drywall work in the background is also coming along. My parents have been coming over during the day and working all the corners trying to get it just right, mixing old plaster walls with new drywall.

Making progress! That is Greg there in the background. I haven't ran him off yet with all the hard work! He is a natural at home repair, but he didn't know it! I am teaching him : )

On a Love Note
Just to answer the "Inquiring minds"....If you are seeing a red headed man in some of my photos, here is the reason:

Greg and I have known each other for about 3 years. We met at our friends vineyard.(Roger's Ford Farm) I was sipping wine with friends and he came walking in wearing fishing gear and I thought he was adorable and asked who he was. We dated off and on a few times. We liked each other, but never really got to know each other well enough to see if we REALLY liked each other. He was there for me in a very difficult time in my life a couple of years ago and he was a true friend to me. We have always kept in touch. We have both written each other very long love notes at different times.

A few months ago, around the beginning of November, he came to visit me here and see the house. It was like we never missed a beat and our relationship has blossomed into something special. Even though we live a few hours apart, we have spent just about every weekend together since November.

I was trying to think of a simple way to sum us up and he said it perfectly in an unintended phone message the other day. He said: "Hey, I am driving on Route 1 headed north, you are probably driving on Route 1 headed south, we are on the same road but going in the wrong direction. How about you turn around and I will do the same and then we will be headed toward each other."

Sometimes you can be on the right path, but just heading in the wrong direction. That was us, but now we are on the right track, towards each other.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Love is in the air along with an unpredictable winter season. That is one thing love and the weather have in common, they are both unpredictable, keep us guessing and anticipating but also make us feel alive and joyful!

I have been trying to focus on the Halo Mural this week. It is one of the last finishing touches on Hudson's room before I do the big Reveal. I paint on it in the evening when the day is winding down and the evening is calm. When you paint, you have to be in the mood, so to speak and I have to have peace of mind to get the creative juices flowing. I have to be motivated to work on the mural. With so many elements happening in the house, between every day chores, trying to figure out why the oil heater is burning oil so quickly, deciding what furniture to keep or re-paint, still making decisions on paint colors and fabrics and the list goes on and on, let's just say it is hard to focus on a detail oriented painting.

Back to the mural, it is coming along, slowly but surely. I would say I am about 2/3 the way done and it should be completed within this next week. Fingers crossed....

You probably can't tell, but I have been painting over my initial sketch with a more detailed rendering and building up my shadows and creating more depth. I do plan to add color to the Halo figure, but that will be the final step.

Late night painting. I do better with a back light on my image and the room light turned off. That way I can see the painting in a more 3d realistic view. I am still working in dark and light values only. What that means is that I am basically working in black & white and shades of gray and emphasizing the lightest and darkest areas on the figure to make it more dimensional.